Down the Alleyway
by FanFicGirl9
Summary: Will Nelson, a bully from Dick's school, didn't expect to stumble across an injured Robin in an alleyway on his way home. Sequel up!
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Oh Please, It's Just a Flesh Wound!

 **Summary:** Will Nelson, a bully from Dick's school, didn't expect to stumble across an injured Robin in an alleyway on his way home.

 **Warnings:** Some blood, a good amount of swearing.

 **Rating:** T

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Robin or any other heroes that may be seen or mentioned, however I do own Will Nelson.

 **A/N:** This has been swimming in my head for a while now, so I finally decided to write it! I hope that an OC in this story does not bother you guys too much. This may become two parts if I get a request, but for now this will only be one part. Enjoy!

* * *

Will scowled grumpily as he kicked a stone that had the misfortune of being in his way. A street light flickered, and he glared up at it as if it were the cause of all his anger. Pulling his jacket tighter around him while grumbling under his breath, Will continued down the street in Gotham. "Grayson," He snarled angrily. His thoughts drifted as he recalled the fight that broke out between him and the circus freak earlier that day. Granted, he knew he started it with all the pushing and provoking taunts, but that didn't mean he deserved that punch to the cheek. He huffed, absentmindedly rubbing the sore area. Grayson sure did have one hell of a punch.

They had both gotten detention after Will returned the hit, which he served. Grayson, however, was excused because his guardian, _Bruce fucking Wayne_ , made a few calls in the right places. Spoiled son of a bitch. After he had been released from the detention, he waited outside for his step-mother to pick him up. After several hours passed with no sign of the ugly, old wench he finally decided to walk home.

 _BANG!_

Will jumped, turning towards the alleyway in which the sound had come from. Thinking back on it, it probably wasn't a good idea to walk home in Gotham. At night. Cautiously, he crept into the alleyway and towards the direction in which the sound had come from. He avoided several glass shards and wrappers that littered the ground before looking left at a dumpster where he thought the noise came from. "Oh my god."

Right there was Robin, Boy Wonder, Batman's sidekick! His words were a mere murmur, so the hero didn't seem to have heard him. He didn't appear very coherent anyways, what with the slight sway. Robin shook his head, as if trying to bid the dizziness away. And then Will saw his mask. It was dangling off his face, barely sticking on, but Robin kept pushing it back up, keeping his eyes from view. "Damn, s-should have put more glue on."

Will couldn't help it. There was Robin, barely holding onto consciousness, with a mask that wouldn't stay on. He lurched forward, grabbed the end of the mask and jerked it off Robin's face. Will gasped when the Boy Wonder's gloved hand shot out and gripped his wrist so tight it hurt. Suddenly, familiar blue eyes glared daggers into his own. "No way," he panted. "Grayson?" Before Grayson could say anything, voices rang out on the other side of the alleyway.

"Where'd he go?"

"We wouldn't even have ta' be chasin' the brat if it wasn't for ya, dumbass!"

A sharp tug to his wrist yanked him to the ground beside the dumpster, hiding him from the view of the two men. A gloved hand pressed tightly to his mouth, cutting off any protests. "Mph!" He swallowed when sharp blue eyes turned to glare at him fiercely. "Shut it," Grayson snarled quietly in Will's ear.

The voices continued as Grayson pressed closer to Will to keep them hidden. "I'm gonna skin tha' Boy Blunder when I get my hands on 'im!" Will was surprised when Grayson simply smirked and rolled his eyes. "Come on, he's not here. We gotta find him or the boss'll kill us!" There was a grunt of agreement, and then the two men disappeared. But Grayson didn't get off him. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing here?"

"Mph!"

Grayson scowled and stepped away. Will panted as the gloved hand was finally pulled away, head overloaded with thoughts. This wasn't happening, this wasn't happening! Grayson _couldn't_ be Robin! It just wasn't possible! "Y-you're Robin!" Grayson put a hand on his stomach and gave an icy stare. "No, I'm Superman!" Will blinked as a realization hit. _Holy shit! I bullied Robin!_ Will snapped out of his thoughts when Grayson flinched a bit. He eyed the hand on Grayson's stomach when he realized it was wet with something.

"Grayson! You're bleeding!" Will scrambled up onto his feet and stared as more blood trickled onto the gloved hand. Grayson shrugged and looked down at his stomach. "Oh please, it's just a flesh wound." Will frowned. It sure looked like more than a flesh wound to him. Grayson glared at the mask that was still clutched in Will's hand and snatched it right out of his hands. "Give me your jacket." Anger flared up in Will. Just because the circus freak was Robin didn't give him any right to boss him around.

"Listen here freak-"

"Give me the jacket." Something in Grayson's eyes made Will grumble and reluctantly hand over his best jacket. Only for Grayson to start ripping it up. "Hey, you asshole!" Will's eyes widened when Grayson pulled out a batarang and began cutting holes in the cloth. He used the cloth to tie his mask back around his face, shielding the blue eyes from view once again. The holes in the cloth were positioned over the white slits so that he could still see through. "That was my best jacket, you dick!" Once he realized what he said, nothing could stifle his laughter. "Ha. Ha. Very funny," Grayson deadpanned and ignored Will when he wiped away an imaginary tear. Ah, dick jokes.

Will started when Grayson began walking away. "Hey, where are you going?"

"None of your business."

"But you're injured!"

"Not that that's any of your business either."

"Come on, freak! My house isn't too far away. You can clean up there and get out of the cold."

Grayson turned to look at him. "I don't understand you. You bully me at school, then invite me to your house?" Will huffed and crossed his arms over his broad chest. His breath was foggy in the frigid air. "Well I still think your a circus freak if that helps any. And your a spoiled brat, too!"

"I think I'll pass on your offer." Grayson turned and began walking away again. "I'll tell everyone your secret identity if you don't come with me," he blurted. Maybe it wasn't a smart idea to provoke someone who is a sidekick to Batman. Both who could kick your ass. But it was too late to back down now. Grayson froze and spun around to glare at him. A shiver ran down Will's spine, but he sucked it up and straightened his body so that he toward over the smaller boy. After returning the glare with his own, Will suddenly felt like they were back at school and he was about to beat him up for being a mathlete, charity case, and a circus freak.

"You don't understand what your getting into! A lot of innocent people could die if the wrong people got their grubby little hands on my identity!" Will raised any eyebrow. "Well then, I guess you'd better come with me." Grayson scowled and glared at him some more. "Fine," he spat. More than a little smug, Will began leading the grumbling Boy Wonder to his house.

* * *

"So, this is your house?"

The house was by no means small, but it definitely wasn't any Wayne mansion. "Well I'm sorry it isn't the _majestic palace_ you are used to, but it's where I live," he said sarcastically. Grayson rolled his eyes. "Whatever." They could hear his step-mother laughing obnoxiously inside the house. She was most likely surrounded by her other slutty friends. "Stephanie will freak if she sees you." He pointed to his bedroom window. "Think you can climb up there?" Grayson nodded and disappeared a second later. Will sighed and unlocked the door, hoping he would be able to slip upstairs without being noticed by Stephanie.

Thankfully, he managed it and hurriedly opened the door to his dark room. He turned on the lights which revealed Grayson leaning against the wall near the window. "Dude, creepy much? Lurking over there in the darkness." Grayson shrugged and began looking around his room. His eyes drifted over his mahogany desk with a swivel chair and his queen sized bed. _He probably sleeps in a king sized_ , Will thought bitterly. While his family was wealthy enough to send him to Gotham Academy, after his dad died, his step-mother began spending all of their extra money on her clothes, expensive perfumes, and unnecessary trinkets to display around the house. Just thinking about it ignited a rage in Will that hadn't been dormant ever since the death of his father.

But instead of commenting on how small and undeveloped his room was compared to his like Will thought he would, Grayson simply began pulling the shirt of his costume over his head. He didn't even wince when the costume had to be peeled off where some dried blood had stuck to it. Finally, Will was able to catch a good glimpse of the wound. It appeared to be made by a knife, and was about 4 inches long. Will thought it needed stitches. Grayson assessed the wound with a cocked head, unconcerned by the blood that slowly dribbled out.

"It'll need stitches," he finally murmured. "Got any thread?" Will started. "Uh, yea. Lemme just...go get it." With one last look at Grayson he fled the room and snuck down the hall into Stephanie's. He thought for a few seconds before peeking his head into the overly large closet (while trying to ignore all of the frilly dresses), then shut the door when he couldn't find what he was looking for. Next, he looked under the bed, giving a triumphant grunt when he spotted the sewing kit. When he stepped back into the room, Grayson was on the phone. "Sup, KF?"

Grayson nodded at Will when he set the kit on the desk. He listened to the phone for a bit while making his way over to the container and opening it up. "Really?" Cue talking on the other side. "Sorry man, I got a bit held up with...Dynamic Duo stuff." He shot Will a look and began taking out black thread and a thin, small needle. Grayson held the phone between his ear and his shoulder while he began stitching up the wound. Will was slightly shocked when there wasn't even a wince from Grayson. It came with the job, he supposed.

"Nah, just the usual drug dealers. Except they had civilians they were testing the drugs on so I had to get involved." Silence. "I mean one got a lucky swipe at me, but-" Grayson sighed and seemed to let whoever 'KF' was rant a bit before continuing. "Hey, I'm fine! The cut didn't need stitches or anything!" Grayson looked down at his finished work, grabbing the scissors and snipping the extra thread off. Will raised an eyebrow. "Listen, I gotta go. Bats will be pissed if I'm away too long." Something was said on the other line and suddenly Grayson was laughing. "Yea, yea. Good luck on your mission."

Grayson took the phone away from his ear and looked a little awkward. "Er, sorry about that." Will shrugged and then the next couple of minutes were passed in silence, Will with his arms crosses and Grayson casting glances towards the window. "So..."

"So..." Grayson had put the top part of his costume back on.

"You're _Robin_ ," He finally blurted. "Well, yea," Grayson agreed. Silence. "You're taking this remarkably well." Grayson gave a strained smile but it looked more like a grimace. "Not really, no! You're a sidekick to-"

"Partner."

"Partner! Whatever! To Batman, and you fight crime in _Gotham_ in your free time. What the hell?"

"Yea, that pretty much sums it up."

"It's impossible that you're Robin! I mean you're a scrawny, little math nerd that I beat up all the time!"

"Well, thanks."

"This isn't a game," Will growled, clenching his fists. Why wasn't Grayson taking this seriously? "I _know_ it isn't a game, Nelson," the dark haired teen said in a low voice. "That's why it's imperative you just pretend this night didn't happen! If anyone found out you knew something about my identity, you'd be as good as dead!" Will gulped at the dark tone and nodded. "I...I won't tell anyone." The white slits of the mask studied him. "I don't trust you," the hero stated bluntly. Will glared. "This is your fault anyways! If your stupid mask stayed on properly it wouldn't have fallen off!"

"You _ripped_ it off! And besides, if I didn't have to squeeze my way out of that detention that _you_ made me get, I wouldn't have had to rush to put the glue on my mask. And if I didn't have to rush, I wouldn't have put too little on, so really it's _your_ fault!" The two teens glared at each other. Finally, Will reluctantly backed down and said, "I won't tell anyone." Grayson's gaze was unwavering. He gave an exasperated sigh. "Why don't you, I don't know. Keep tabs on me or something?" Grayson crossed his arms. "I was going to do that anyways." Will glared at him but the other boy simply shrugged. "Why should I trust you anyways? You bullied me ever since I first stepped into Gotham Academy and you blackmailed me into coming here." Both of them knew that Will couldn't make Grayson do anything now that he knew he was Robin. But he still came to his house anyways.

"I _apologize_ for bullying you," Will forced out. He growled when the younger of the two raised his chin with a huff. "Whatever."

"Listen, I promise I won't tell anyone." Maybe it was because he said he promised, or maybe he heard the sincerity in his voice, but Grayson nodded. "Fine, but if you _do_ tell anyone, I will personally see to it that the last thing you see is the end of a batarang. Got it?" Will nodded. Grayson looked around a bit before heading to the window. "I gotta go. Duty calls."

"Wait," Will cried out as the younger teen stepped out the window. Grayson turned to look at him. "See ya at school?"

Grayson smirked. "Yea, see you at school."

And then he was gone.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, what did you think? Just so you guys know, I got the name 'Will Nelson' from a name generator so if anyone else has an OC by that name it is a pure coincidence. Hopefully Robin wasn't too OOC. If you guys want a second part, leave a review (with an idea for what you want to see if you have one). If you don't really care if there is another part, just leave a review to tell me how it was. I love feedback! :D (There was something else I wanted to say in this author's note that was pretty important but now I can't remember. *sigh* I'm going to remember after I post this. Just watch.)


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Oh Please, It's Just a Flesh Wound (Part 2)

 **Warnings:** Some swearing, blood, uses of knives/other weapons, some torture and bullying.

 **Rating:** T

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Robin or any other heroes that may be seen or mentioned. However, I do own Will Nelson. Because I got this name from a name generator, if any story has this name as well it is by pure coincidence.

 **A/N:** First of all, keep in mind that just because this story has bullying in it, it does not mean I support bullying in any way shape or form. Next, thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing! Because of popular demand, here is a second part. However, while it is the last part  if you want to see more moments between these two all you have to do is leave a review or PM me with a request and an idea and I will post it as a separate story. Truthfully, I hope I get a few requests xD.

* * *

Since that fateful day in the alleyway nearly 2 weeks ago, Will Nelson has been avoiding Grayson - _Robin_ \- like the plague. At first, Will was uncertain about how Grayson would behave at school. Would he act like everything was normal? Would he go out of his way to avoid and ignore Will? Or would he always be near him, watching to make sure nothing about his secret identity spilled? It turned out, he went with the approach of acting like everything was normal. And he was pretty damn good about it. Whenever Will happened to walk past, Grayson would simply duck his head like usual, looking like he was trying to avoid a fight. In class, he was as diligent as ever, his eyes never straying from his notes to gaze at Will warningly.

Eventually, the paranoia set in. Every time he entered a room, he found his eyes searching wildly to see if Grayson was there. If he was, Will immediately sat as far away from him as he could. Not only that, he jumped at every sudden or loud noise. Whether that be his friends goofing off behind him, or a student dropping their heavy binder on their desk, it didn't matter. It wasn't long before his usual 45 minute walk home turned into a 20 minute jog. Every time he was on his way home he could feel a prickling sensation on the back of his neck and he knew someone was watching him. At first, Will assumed it was Grayson doing his job and "keeping tabs" on him. But every time he stopped and looked around, nobody was in sight.

Will was so paranoid he even kept the lights on in his room when he slept. Somehow waking up in complete darkness wasn't as normal and comfortable as it used to be. Yet, even through all of this, Will got in the habit of leaving his window unlocked (which he knew was quite risky in a place like Gotham). He wasn't _exactly_ sure why he did it, just that he did. But it had something to do with a certain bird. Even after all of this, Will knew Grayson and him weren't anything like friends. Will still disliked Grayson quite a bit, and he was positive Grayson felt the same way about him. So he wasn't keeping it unlocked because he really _cared_ about him, per say. Will thought it was more like a peace offering. He knew the younger teen didn't trust him what so ever. He thought the window would send a message of, "Come in, I know you don't trust me, but I trust you."

Of course, Will wasn't exactly sure if he trusted Grayson much at all. He knew that he could kick his ass anytime he wanted. Being the sidek- _partner_ \- to Batman gave someone that ability. Grayson could probably even _kill_ him if he really wanted to. Then he wouldn't even have to worry about Will accidently spilling something. However, Robin is known as a hero in Gotham and in many other places, and Will is certain any hero would definitely not kill a civilian like himself. And besides, Will thought that Grayson would feel at least _a little_ guilty for murdering a classmate, even if it was his bully.

When Will arrived home from school one day, he felt a surge of curiosity. Sitting down in his swivel chair, Will opened the top drawer in his desk in which he kept his laptop (it was a gift from his dad). However, he gaped when he came face to face with folded frilly, prink dresses. "Not. Happening," he gasped in shock and outrage. Will ripped open the remaining drawers, all of them containing the hideous clothing. Heels clicked down the hallway and stopped in front of his open doorway. Will looked up to see the red-headed and make-up clad face of his step-mother. He was suddenly grateful to have inherited his father's brown hair and his mother's green eyes. That way no one would mistake Will as this slut's son. "Oh, sorry about that dearie. I'm afraid _both_ of my closets have run out of space, and that trash you stored in that desk just wasn't as valuable as _my_ possessions." A tic in Will's jaw twitched at the voice that simply drowned in honey.

"No problem," Will forced out, fists clenching at the amount of willpower it took not to sock this witch of a woman in the face. He didn't hit girls, even if they were complete bitches. Stephanie merely glanced at his white-knuckled fists before replying, "Of course it's no problem. Now, just so you know, I'll be hanging out with just a _few_ men tomorrow at one of my girlfriends' houses. So don't be naughty while I'm gone, kay?" The mocking voice made Will grit his teeth as Stephanie clicked her way down the hall and into her own room. Heh, just a few men, huh? In a surge of defiance, Will grabbed the bundle of pink fabric in the first drawer and tossed it out the window and onto the mucky floor below. He then dug through the trashcan beside his desk and rescued his laptop from the bin. Luckily, it didn't look to be damaged.

He quickly powered the machine on, tapping his foot impatiently. When Will was finally able to open the internet, he paused just as he was about to type in the search engine. After a nervous glance towards the closed window, Will quickly entered "Richard Grayson" into the bar. The first thing that popped up was a picture. Grayson was standing on a large stage dressed in a spiffy suit and his hair gelled back, just like he wore it at school. He was holding one side of a gigantic check, the other side being held by Bruce Wayne. Both wore matching smiles. Will rolled his eyes and moved on after he concluded they must be at a charity event. Next, he clicked on an article that read: _**Bruce Wayne Adopts Richard Grayson!**_ Will briefly skimmed the article. He knew a lot of the information in the segment already so he decided to ignore the rest of the it. Will's eyebrows rose as he read the next article: _**Circus Catastrophe!**_ Will felt his throat tighten strangely as he read what appeared to be an eyewitness account from a police officer of the events of Mary and John Grayson's deaths. According to the cop, Grayson had screamed over his parents' bodies and refused to be dragged away by the authorities as-

Will quickly closed the tab, suddenly finding it hard to swallow. He had bullied Grayson over this. He hurt Grayson after his parents died, pouring salt into an already fresh wound. It wasn't his fault, it wasn't- no. It _was_ his fault. He knew what he was doing this whole time. He _knew_ that his parents died, and yet he mocked him over it anyways. He was just so angry, _furious_ at the world for taking away his father away and leaving him with a horrible substitute. _It just wasn't fair!_ _He_ should have been the one to end up with a billionaire, like Grayson. But he didn't. And that made him retaliate back at Grayson. If Will was going to be miserable, then Grayson should be to. At least, that was his reasoning.

 _It wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault_ , Will repeated, but the words felt empty and his mouth tasted sour.

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Will jumped and almost fell out of his seat. He whirled around and was surprised to see Robin crouched outside, leaning a bit on the window. Will stared, gaping at the figure outside until Grayson gave another tap. "Oh-er, right!" He scrambled to open the window and Grayson slipped inside. Will expected him to begin interrogating him on his identity, asking a million questions to make sure Will didn't tell anyone his secret. What he didn't expect was, "Is there any particular reason why there are a bunch of pink dresses in your yard?"

"Uh. They're Stephanie's."

"Right," Grayson said as if Will's answer explained everything. "You know, you really shouldn't be keeping your window unlocked."

"I-" Will stopped himself. _I wanted you to trust me_. Instead he said, "I'll work on that." Just like their previous meeting, awkward silence soon ensued. Will fought the urge to demand what Grayson was doing here, and waited patiently. Or rather, impatiently. Finally, Grayson spoke. "I have an offer for you." Will raised an eyebrow. "I have a friend. She can erase your memories, of ever knowing my identity, that is. And she's trustworthy so you wouldn't have to worry about her prying into other things..." Grayson fidgeted, and looked at him expectantly.

 _He wants me to agree_ , Will realized. _He still doesn't trust me_. Feeling slightly hurt but incredibly stubborn, Will felt the urge to prove to Grayson that his secret was safe with him. "No thanks," Will answered nonchalantly. He was extremely satisfied when Grayson's fists clenched, his eyes narrowing on him. "Is this some petty grudge? Do you want to use this to blackmail me or something?"

Truthfully, the thought hadn't even crossed Will's mind since that night in the alleyway. "No, not really." Grayson sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. Way to make this harder on me." He turned back towards the window and moved to step out. "Wait, can I ask you something?" Grayson waved a hand. "Yea, sure." Will took a deep breath. "Your parents," he murmured, noting the way Grayson tensed. "Does it...does it still hurt?" He turned his back to Will, facing the window. "I thought you of all people would know the answer to that."

Grayson left and the sour taste in Will's mouth was back. _Yes,_ he answered himself. _It still does._

Later that night, Will tossed and turned in his bed, finally giving up and resigning himself to a sleepless night. He thought back to what Grayson had said. _I thought you of all people would know the answer to that_. Will closed his eyes and took a deep breathe. The parting words brought back memories he'd rather forget. The sound of sirens, cars screeching, and his father's terrified face haunted him until he finally drifted off to sleep to the now familiar feeling of being watched.

* * *

The next day, Will felt the lack of sleep finally catch up to him. After a morning of hearing Stephanie's shrill voice screaming at him over the mud-covered dresses in the yard, Will already felt a headache building up. With that on top of a restless night, he was definitely in a foul mood. After school, his friends eventually approached him about it. "Dude, ya look like you've been run over by a truck!" _Thanks, Luke. Really._ "'m fine," Will growled and silently prayed for Luke and the rest of the gang to leave him the hell alone. "Man I know just what ya' need! Look there," Luke grinned, pointing to the right of Will. There Grayson stood, putting books in his locker. "Just give him a few hits and then give me a turn. What do ya' say?" Will thought he'd rather punch Luke. When Luke didn't receive a response, he frowned. "You're going soft, aren't ya!" Luke tsked and then shouted, "Hey, is wittle Will turning into a wittle baby?" The shout caught the attention of Grayson, who turned to watch the scene.

Will's fists clenched. Luke noticed. "Aw, does wittle Will need his mummy to give him a cuddle? I'm sure Stephanie will be willing to give you a hand. You know how she likes younger men." Luke winked and Will growled angrily. _He wasn't weak_! He marched forward towards Grayson and his green orbs met blue.

 _...sharp blue eyes turned to glare at him fiercely..._

Will swallowed.

 _...A gloved hand pressed tightly to his mouth..._

He wiped a sweaty palm on his jeans.

 _...Grayson snarled quietly in Will's ear..._

Brief hesitation.

 _I thought you of all people would know the answer to that._

Will faltered, then stopped. Grayson was staring at him intently, watching and waiting to see what he'd do.

 _I want you to trust me._

Quickly, Will turned on the spot and began walking towards the exit of the school, ignoring the exclamations of his friends that had began calling him a chicken and making obnoxious clucking noises. Because his back was turned, Will didn't see the slight smile that flitted across Grayson's face.

* * *

When Will finally arrived home, after walking aimlessly around Gotham for a few hours (which he admits wasn't the safest thing to do), night had fallen. He absentmindedly wondered why Stephanie's car wasn't in the driveway before realizing she had left for a night of partying and manipulating multiple men. Will scoffed and shook his head. It was better for him if she wasn't home, anyways. Will unlocked the door, climbed the stairs, and pushed the door open. He froze, breath caught in his throat. Why was his window _open_? He always left it unlocked for Grayson, yes, but never opened. Will swallowed. Perhaps he shouldn't have tried to earn Grayson's trust by leaving the window unlocked. Especially in a place like Gotham!

Will took a hesitant step forward to close the window when suddenly movement to his left caught his eye. A figure that had been hidden in the darkness (he was so shocked about the open window he didn't turn on the lights) lurched forward, and before Will could make a sound or even comprehend what was happening, the man had him pinned against the wall, arms held behind his back. A low chuckle reached his ears and the man restraining him pressed his face harder into the wall. He couldn't see the man's face with his back facing towards him.

"Well, well, well. Catching you was a lot easier than I thought. Who knew a friend of _Robin_ could be so weak?" Will's breath hitched. This man was obviously an enemy to Grayson and knew that Will had communicated with Robin before. _What do I do? What do I do?_ Will's breathing quickened as panic began to set in. Would he be tortured until he spilled everything he knew about Robin? At the thought, Will began to fruitlessly struggle against the man pinning him to the wall. He whimpered when the grip on his wrists tightened to the point of being painful. "Ah, ah," the stranger tsked. "None of that now, I'm warning you."

"I-I don't know anything," Will stuttered and thrashed in the man's hold despite the painful grip on his wrists. "Let me go!" He stamped on the man's foot and lashed out with his free legs, desperately trying to escape. The man growled and threw Will against the wall before pinning him again. Stars danced in Will's vision, but he continued to weakly squirm in the stranger's grasp. "That's it," the man snarled, and Will suddenly felt something sharp press into his lower back. Will sucked in a breathe and kept still, fearful the object would cut him if he moved. "Much better," the stranger laughed, and dragged the flat side of the knife up down Will's back threateningly. "Now, this might hurt a bit. See you when you wake up, kid." Before Will could react, the man brought the handle of the knife down hard on Will's head, and forced him to succumb to the darkness.

* * *

Will groaned, feeling a searing pain in his head. _What happened?_ He remembered coming home, and then- Will gasped and jerked upright. The sudden movement caused his head to spin, and he sat there panting for a minute while he struggled to orientate himself. Eventually, when Will thought he could lift his head without throwing up, he took a look around the room. He appeared to be in some kind of warehouse with large windows that were either cracked in some places or completely boarded up with long planks of wood. To his left, Will saw a pile of crates stacked neatly on top of each other and he wondered what kind of illegal merchandise was kept in there. There as a long table a couple feet in front of him that had about a dozen or so rickety chairs that looked like they were about to collapse. The lights above him flickered occasionally. Other than that, the room was completely bare; he was the only person in it. Will thought it looked like a typical villain hideout.

 _I need to get out of here_ , Will thought frantically. He lunged to his feet- or at least tried to but something was restricting his movements. The teen looked down, his eyes taking in the layers of chains that wrapped around his arms and torso, fettering him to a chair. _Oh no_ , Will thought wildly. What was he supposed to do now? He jerked in the chair for a couple minutes before giving up when the chains rubbed on his arms painfully.

 _If anyone found out you knew something about my identity, you'd be as good as dead..._

Will swallowed uneasily. He was tied to a chair with an aching head, no idea where he was, and had no way to contact Grayson. His thoughts drifted to Stephanie, maybe she could- no. There was no telling when she would be back from her party, and she never cared whether Will was at home or not. _Not her then_ , Will thought bitterly. Who else could help him? His friends? No. While they talked to him more than Stephanie, after today's debacle he knew he would be getting the cold shoulder and be on the receiving end of a few nasty insults. Some friends they were, unlike Grays- Will stopped himself, eyes wide. Where had that come from? After all this time, did Will begin to actually _like_ Grayson's company? The thought sounded absurd to him.

Will's eyes snapped up when a door creaked open ominously in front of him. A group of about 10 people filed into the room, sneering at his still form. There were 3 tough looking women, but the rest of the party consisted of men. "I'm glad to see you're awake," one buff man stated, stepping in front of his chair. He had broad shoulders and a fat nose. The look in his beady eyes unnerved Will greatly. Will's eyes suddenly widened when he heard the familiar voice. This was the man that kidnapped him! The man grinned when he saw Will's face and laughed. "Glad you remember me, kid." Will simply glared in response, not trusting himself to speak at the moment. The room was silent save the quiet, yet excited chittering of the people behind the man. Were they excited to see Will tortured? The thought fill Will with disgust.

Sudden movement brought his attention back to the man in front of him as he crouched down to Will's eye level. Will fought the urge to look away from the stranger's eyes as they stared at him unwaveringly, as if he could get all the information he wanted just by connecting their eyes. A hand darted out and wrapped around his chin tightly when Will turned his head away, immediately turning it back to face him. Will gasped. "What does Robin see in you? I wonder...," the stranger murmured, seemingly talking to himself but not once removing his eyes from Will's face. Will jerked in his grasp, but the man's grip only tightened. "I don't know what you're talking about." Will hoped his voice didn't tremble too much. Their eyes locked once again. "Oh? But I think you do. So tell me, boy, why does Robin trust _you_ with his identity?"

"Like I said before, I don't know what you're talking about!" Will gathered up his courage and spat at his face. The man straightened up and slowly wiped the saliva of his cheek, ignoring the angry calls behind him.

"Slice him up, Mr. Jacobs!"

"Kill him, kill him!"

"Show him what you're made of boss!"

So his name was Mr. Jacobs. "Silence." The command wasn't loud but it shut the crowd up behind him just the same. Menacingly, Jacobs drew out a knife from one of his back pockets and a gun from the other. He turned to face the group with a feral grin. "What'll it be, ladies and gentlemen?" he asked, waving the two weapons in the air. The group's eyes lit up as they shouted their preferred torture weapon. One daring person gave a cry of, "Both!" Will gave that person a particularly hard glare. "Very well," Jacobs said with a grin, shoving the gun away in his back pocket. The members of the gang who had voted for the knife cheered and hooted wildly. Was this how all villains acted? Will supposed Grayson would know.

His attention was quickly brought back to Jacobs when the knife waved dangerously close to his face. "Now, I don't want to hurt you, kid-" Will seriously doubted that. "-but you have something I want." He swiped the knife through the air and Will gasped as the sharp metal cut through the skin of his cheek. Another swipe and an 'X' marked Will's left cheek. "And I want it _now_." Will discreetly looked around the warehouse, desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of the bird that was his only chance of survival. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. _What would Grayson do? What would Grayson do?_ The teen repeated, willing an idea to come to him. Grayson would have already broken out of the chains, but he didn't know how to do that, let alone without any of the thugs noticing. _What can I do_ _?_ "I'm sorry, what was that? I got distracted by your horrible breath." Stall and deflect. He could do that. At least until Grayson came to rescue him. While the thought of someone younger than him rescuing him made Will flush, he knew at the moment there was no other choice.

 _SMACK!_

Will's head whipped to the side, his cheek stinging painfully. The tight grip was suddenly back and yanked his head back to the front. "I'm not someone you want to mess with, boy, got it?" Will didn't say anything, choosing to instead share his opinion with fierce glare. "Very well," the man snarled darkly. "Don't say I didn't warn you." The man gripped Will's thigh tightly, and lowered the knife. Will's eyes widened in fear. "N-AH!" The cry of pain echoed throughout the warehouse. Will jerked and thrashed in the chair, as if it could help him escape the pure agony he felt. Tears threatened to spill out of his eyes as his thigh throbbed but he desperately held them back. Another screech sounded in the room as Jacobs continued to drag the knife down Will's thigh, grinning. Will grunted when the knife was finally jerked off his thigh. He looked down at his leg in disbelief. Blood was oozing and dripping onto the floor.

"Now, tell me what I want to know, or your other leg will be getting the same treatment." Will blinked, struggling to shake the stars out of his vision at the onslaught of pain. What would happen if he just told the man what he wanted to know? Perhaps it would be for the best. Will might be set free from the pain and- Will closed his eyes. What was he thinking? He had seen enough movies to know the villains never let any witnesses get away. And besides, he would be sacrificing Grayson's identity, something he was not willing to do. "I-"

Suddenly, the room was plunged into the darkness and a loud cackle echoed through the air. Cries of alarm engendered from the criminals. "It's him!"

"He's here, watch out!"

"Shoot at him!"

"No," Will heard Jacobs growl furiously as he moved away from him. "You might kill the other kid!"

Amidst the chaos, movement behind Will caught his attention. "Took you long enough," he rasped teasingly. There was a low chuckle behind him. "Yea, sorry 'bout that." He felt hands examining the chains that restrained him. "When I get these off you, take cover behind those crates to your left."

"Yea, ok," Will murmured quietly, as to not alert the thugs who were desperately trying to get the lights back on and Jacobs who was screaming angrily at his men (and women) to hurry the hell up. Suddenly the chains gave away, and Will assumed Grayson broke some of the chains' fall because there was only a small clank as the chains hit the floor. Will held his breath and waited to see if anybody had heard the noise, but they were too busy panicking to hear the sound. Will gasped as his leg smarted painfully.

He started when a gloved started prodding at his leg. "Grayson," he whispered urgently through gritted teeth. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Assessing your wound. And call me Robin in uniform." Will nodded and then realized Grayson couldn't see the gesture. "A-alright. Now what do we do? I-I don't think I can move."

"I'll have to take these guys out another time, you're bleeding a lot and I don't want to risk-" Grayson broke off. "Right. Let me help you up." He hooked his arm under Will's and wrapped it over his shoulders to support his weight. The position was a bit awkward because Grayson is much shorter than Will. Somehow, the pair managed to slip past the panicking thugs and out the door. When they made it out of the warehouse, Will looked around and noticed they seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. He paled further. How were they supposed to get out of here? Will's legs gave out from under him and Grayson grunted in surprise as he caught him.

He pressed a button on his utility belt before setting a hand on his ear. "Robin to Batman. Prepare the medical room." If there was a reply, Will couldn't hear it. Suddenly, the sound of an engine could be heard and a red motorcycle sped around the corner of the building. Will gaped until Grayson helped him on before getting on himself. He braced his legs on either side of the bike while taking off his cape. "Here," Grayson said. "Keep this pressed to the wound to stop the bleeding." Will hadn't noticed before, but Grayson's words sounded strained and rather forced. Was he angry with him for getting caught? The thought made his chest tighten. "I-"

"Hold on tight, I don't want you to go flying off," Grayson interrupted. Will waited for his smirk to appear, as it usually did with a comment like that. But it didn't, and he was only met with lips drawn in a thin line. Before Will could say anything, Grayson kicked up his legs and the motorcycle shot away from the warehouse like a rocket. Will yelped and grabbed Grayson while simultaneously trying to press the cape to his wound. When he looked back, the warehouse seemed like a speck in the distance, and if you looked close enough, the thugs could be seen screaming and waving their fists angrily in the air.

* * *

Will must have closed his eyes because when shook himself awake they were driving through what appeared to be a tunnel at a much slower pace. Grayson must have slowed down when he noticed Will falling asleep, otherwise he would have flown off the motorcycle and landed with a splat on the ground. He glanced down at his leg and noticed his leg appeared to have stopped bleeding. He took a deep breath, relieved. A peek at Grayson's face told him he was much more relaxed than before. Or at least resigned. Will didn't know what to say so he kept his mouth shut. Finally, they passed through an opening to what looked like a _cave!_ "Where are we?"

"The Batcave," came the mumbled reply from the boy in front of him. Will looked around in wonder at the high ceiling (with bats clung to it!) and the fancy computers. Another look revealed all of the training equipment and even a trapeze! _A trapeze..._ Will immediately looked away, the article about the circus coming back to him. Grayson parked the motorcycle and hopped off. Will did the same, cautiously making sure he didn't put too much weight on his leg. When Will turned around he noticed Grayson staring at a black chair. His eyes widened as he saw who was sitting in it, typing steadily away. "I'm back," Grayson grumbled. The Bat didn't reply, and his fingers never faltered on the keyboard. Grayson's fists clenched and he spun on his heels to look at Will. "Over here, Nelson." Will was then led to what looked like a medical table, which he sat on when Grayson gestured towards it.

He pulled out a first aid kit and slammed it on the bed, angrily snatching all of the needed supplies before closing it a lot louder then was necessary. Will looked nervously between Grayson and Batman, there was clearly something going on between the two heroes. Despite Grayson's irate nature, his hands were gentle as they peeled off the cape and cut through a part of his jeans to get a good look at the wound. Will was rather surprised when he realized the wound was not deep at all; it definitely didn't need stitches. The bleeding appeared to have stopped as well, and Will was suddenly thankful that Grayson gave him his cape.

"First my jacket, now my jeans? What do you have against my clothes, Grayson?" Will asked jokingly, satisfied when the teen smirked. He glanced up and was surprised to see The Batman studying Grayson's face with an unreadable expression on his face. Well, as much of his face Will could see with the cowl on anyways. Suddenly, the sharp stare turned on him, and Will started, his eyes wide as he stared back. Finally, he couldn't keep their eyes connected anymore and squirmed uncomfortably. There was something about that gaze that gave Will shivers.

"Stop squirming!" Will hissed when Grayson dabbed disinfectant onto his thigh wound, then applied some more to the mark on his cheek. In no time, Grayson had cleaned and bandaged Will's thigh expertly. "It might scar," Grayson said with a slight frown. "Sorry 'bout that."

"It's fine, then we'll be matching." But that sounded too much like something a friend would say, so he amended, "I mean, it'll make me look tough." His chest puffed out. Grayson laughed, which sounded more like a cackle to tell you the truth, and Will found himself laughing along. But the moment soon ended, for a figure clad in black made their way over to them. "Robin," Batman said sternly, and said bird looked both stubborn and furious. "No," he said before the Bat could continue. "Contact Miss Martian, _now_."

With a tone like that, Will would've tucked his tail between his legs and did anything the man said. Grayson, however, crossed his arms stubbornly and stood his ground. "It's not _fair_. Finally someone knows my identity and you want his memories erased!"

Will froze, some of Grayson's words coming back. _I have a friend. She can erase your memories, of ever knowing my identity, that is._

 _No...no, no, no!_ Will didn't _want_ to have his memories erased. He wanted to remember everything! What if...what if he started to bully Grayson again if he forgot? He didn't want to be that kind of person anymore! "B-but the offer! I said no!" Grayson turned to look at him apologetically and Batman's eyes narrowed. "Technically I wasn't supposed to even tell you, let alone give you a choice in the matter." Will gaped and the other teen turned back to Batman. "You knew what you were signing up for when you became Robin."

"But not even the Team knows my identity! How are they supposed to trust me if they don't know who I am?" Will had heard of the team that consisted of young heroes, but he assumed they all knew each others identities. It seemed weird for a hero to not know the identity of another. "You _know_ why we keep our identities secret!"

"But I trust my team, and _I trust him!_ " Will's eyes widened and his chest swelled with joy. _Grayson trusted him! Him!_ The feeling of happiness was so great he couldn't help but smile. Batman's stare was suddenly directed at him, and the grin slowly slipped off Will's face. His gaze (which bordered on a glare) was so intense, and Will wondered what he was thinking when the two were smiling and laughing together. Finally, the intimidating glare was not longer on him, and Batman turned on his heel and back to his computer, typing steadily away as if nothing had ever happened. "Thanks, Bats," Grayson called to the brooding figure, smiling slightly

Confused, Will turned to look questioningly at the dark-haired teen. "Um, what just happened?" he whispered even though he thought the older hero could still hear him. "Bats is letting you keep your memories," Grayson said with a grin. "He's just doesn't want to admit he lost this battle." Will agreed with him silently. The Batman doesn't seem like the kind of person who liked to lose.

Will frowned when he realized a piece to the puzzle was missing. "Hey, how'd you know I got kidnapped?"

"Oh. I put cameras in your room." That explained the feeling of being watched. "Not cool, man." Grayson cackled. "Sorry. It's protocol, Nelson."

"Call me Will," he blurted suddenly. Grayson smirked. "Only if you call me Dick."

And that was when, Will thought, the most unlikeliest of friendships formed.

* * *

 **A/N:** *gasp* I did it! For those who wanted a longer chapter, this is nearly 4000 more words than last time! Also, I left several things open (like how Will's dad died, though I did imply it) on purpose! This is because I'm hoping to get some requests for further moments between these two, and I wanted to leave a few points open to see if you wanted me to close them up. Some ideas are: Will telling Dick how his dad died and Dick telling Will how is own parents dies, Will seeing Dick fight (since there were no fighting scenes), Will seeing Dick on the trapeze, Will going to Mount Justice and meeting the team, and Will finding out Batman's identity. So if you want to see any of those just review or PM me. If you have an idea of your own, just let me know! I hope you enjoyed, hope to see you soon!


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